For the first time in the history of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, federal food benefits are being halted nationwide due to a government shutdown, leaving millions of Americans uncertain about how they will afford groceries come November.

The unprecedented pause, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will prevent SNAP funds from being loaded onto benefit cards beginning Nov. 1.

Across the country, more than 40 million people rely on SNAP to buy food, and in Alabama, more than 740,000 residents depend on the program, according to the USDA Food and Nutrition Service. In Baldwin County, according to the Federal Reserve Bank, 20,790 residents depended on SNAP assistance in 2022, and food pantry leaders say they're already preparing for what could be one of the busiest seasons they've ever seen.

At Prodisee Pantry in Spanish Fort, Baldwin County's largest food pantry, Executive Director Deann Servos said she expects demand to rise sharply once families see their November benefits aren't coming through.

"Once there's no funds put on their cards in November, we'll start seeing an increase," Servos said. "I think we could see a 25% increase."

Prodisee Pantry typically serves between 800 and 1,000 families in a normal month, with numbers climbing to around 1,400 in November due to Thanksgiving distributions. A 25% increase could mean as many as 500 additional families seeking help next month.

Servos said the increase is likely to come from a mix of returning families, newly struggling households and first-time visitors.

"We will have longer lines in our food distributions," she said. "Some of those folks that we graduated out of our program … they'll probably come back. I'm sure we'll see quite a few first-time, as we call new families."

To prepare, Prodisee Pantry is ramping up food purchases and reaching out to vendors to secure shelf-stable items. The pantry's community support, she added, will be key.

"We'll weather this the best we can. I know it'll cost us more, but the community has always supported our efforts."

Already, the need has surged year over year. In the same week in 2024, Prodisee served 131 families. This year, that number rose to 222 — a nearly 70% increase — and Servos expects it to climb further once SNAP cuts take effect.

In Gulf Shores, Christian Service Center is already feeling the pressure. Chairman Stan Moss said demand has jumped significantly.

"We've already seen a shortage of supplies at the food bank … we have seen new faces," he said.

President Linda Chapelle said CSC served 288 clients in September, feeding 906 people three meals a day. She worries a prolonged reduction in benefits could overwhelm their operations.

"If we start talking about it going on, then it would become really unmanageable," she said.

Vice President Janice Moss described a week-to-week rise that could soon triple.

"Last week we had 63 clients that represented 132 people," she said. "If we have this happen with SNAP, I think it would be reasonable to expect that we might see two or three times that number of people."

While CSC is stocked for now, Moss said the organization relies on local support — churches, community drives and seasonal donations — to stay ahead of demand.

"We have a great deal of support," she said. "We have groups that make it their mission to see to it that we have supplies."

She added that October and November are traditionally busy months as tourism slows and seasonal workers lose income, but this year's SNAP cuts could push needs far beyond normal levels.

Both organizations emphasized that Baldwin County's cost of living makes families especially vulnerable to disruptions like this one.

"When you take away food stamps, they've got to figure out a way in their budget to put food on the table," Servos said. "If they're receiving food stamps, chances are that's already a struggle."

Local food pantries serve thousands of residents each month, and with SNAP benefits temporarily paused, they will play a key role in providing food assistance in the county.

"These are good, hard-working folks," Servos said. "They are grandparents raising grandchildren, single parents doing the best they can, and removing food stamps is really going to make it difficult for them to put food on the table, especially during this holiday season."

She added that despite uncertainty, her team remains focused on hope.

"We ask the community to pray for us over the next few months as we ourselves face uncertainty and we're here to be a calming force and bring hope to those who are impacted."

Gabriella Chavez is a Report for America corps member who writes about growth and development in Baldwin County and our natural spaces for Gulf Coast Media. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://tinyurl.com/yaf8yf5n.